Today you’re going to get some actionable tips that will put you in the top 5% of those who actually move the needs on their weight loss goals this year.

The best part?

There’s not a ton of work required and lots of these tips are small tweaks that can go a long way towards shedding a few pounds. And you don’t have to do it in three to six months. Nope! 

In fact, if you added up the time it takes to make the minor adjustments in this email, it would be the equivalent of 1-day of work!

And in this short post we will walk you through the step-by-step things you can do to help kick those extra pounds you’ve been wanting to lose.

6 Weight Loss Tips to be One of the Few to Keep Their New Year's Resolutions

Switch out the sugars

One of the biggest culprits of weight gain is hidden sugars. Many food items will hide sugars that will work against your weight loss goals. By replacing hidden sugars with healthier alternatives you will give yourself the ability to make your calories count. We wanted to help you out so we put together a list of some of the foods that hide sugar

Start by looking in your own pantry. Beware of the following foods that often contain hidden sugar:

• Sauces and Dressings
• Diet Foods (When removing fat, they sometimes substitute it with sugars.)
• Breakfast Cereal
• Canned Vegetables
• Bread
• Dried Fruit and Smoothies
• Yogurt
• Beverages

Increase your activity

Many people start out their new year by going to the gym multiple days, eating less, and counting every calorie. However, these people often burn out and quit. Instead of putting together a rigid and overwhelming activity plan, opt for a simplified version. Increasing your activity is one big way to help you lose weight with less stress. This could include adding an evening walk, going to the gym a few days a week, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Here are a few ways to increase your activity for weight loss.

Walking - Walking is a low impact high return exercise that can easily be incorporated into your daily routine. Healthline suggests the following, “To get started, aim to walk for 30 minutes 3–4 times a week.” Then, gradually increase the duration of your walks as you become more fit.

Running or Jogging - Ready to take it up a notch? Running for short bursts or longer times can bring variety to your fitness routine. If you are worried about joint pain, start by running on softer surfaces like grass.

Weight Training - Start small and add weight training once or twice a week to help with your weight loss goals. Lifting weights and resistance training actually gets your heart pumping at a steady pace and that can tap into burning your fat storage. Try to fast a little bit before heading to the gym so your body focuses on burning that fat first! Increase weight slowly over time. No more than 5% every two weeks if you are putting out 90% or more of perceived effort when you lift.

Swimming - There’s a reason Michael Phelps has those abs! Swimming is a low impact activity that can have big results when it comes to building muscle and weight loss. Add swimming to your weekly routine once or twice a week to aid in your weight loss goals.

Get an Accountability Partner

One of the biggest detriments to weight loss is the choice to do it alone. Instead of starting a weight loss routine on your own, get an accountability partner. This can be a family member or a friend who is there to encourage you and support you on your weight loss journey. Having someone to push you when you want to give up or remind you why you are doing this can hugely improve your chance of success. In fact, this is the very reason we started the Facebook Group called Limitless Athletes. It’s a group of dedicated people helping others stay on track and meet their goals.

Here are a few things to look at when picking an accountability partner.

Partner with an encourager - Pick someone who is an encourager and genuinely wants to see you succeed. This will help you with your harder days.

Partner with someone who has succeeded at their goals - When you want to give up, having someone who has already succeeded at their weight loss goals can be a big encourager for you when you want to quit.

Partner with someone who won’t belittle you - Reaching your weight loss goals can feel overwhelming at times. Make sure to partner with someone who has your best interest at heart and won’t make you feel small for messing up.

Partner with someone who will do it with you - Find someone who is on the same path with you. This will help you to change out your eating habits together or increase your activity together. You may succeed more if you aren’t doing it alone.

Increase Water Intake

One of the most overlooked changes you can make is to increase your water intake. In an article from Healthline, you can see that “Drinking water can boost metabolism by 24–30% over a period of 1–1.5 hours, helping you burn off a few more calories.” However, most people will skip water as part of their daily routine and opt for more flavorful options. The problem with flavorful options is they are more likely to have sugar content and work against hydrations. Here are a few tips to increase water intake.

Bring along a water bottle - Start by adding a reusable water bottle that is easily refilled to your day to day life. It can be good to set a goal of how many you will consume. However, having the water on hand will help you to avoid stops for options other than water.

Set a daily water goal - Instead of saying, “Today I’ll drink more water,” set a more specific and reachable goal. This can mean saying, “Today I will switch out two drinks with water,” or “Today I will drink water after five.” By having a tangible goal, you are more likely to succeed.

Get a good night’s sleep - Consistently!

One of the most neglected areas of health is sleeping. A bad night of sleep every now and then might make you grumpy, but a pattern of poor sleep can affect your overall health and make you prone to serious medical conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Try to create a nighttime ritual to get your mind into the right state to sleep. And not only do you wake up in a better mood, but quality sleep can equal a healthier weight.

Set realistic weight goals

It can be tempting to set ambitious weight goals. However, ambitious weight goals can also lead to disappointment when they aren’t met. Instead of setting high goals, research what is healthiest for your body type to lose in a week or a month. Certain body types will take longer to lose weight. This does not mean you are ineffective. It simply means you are losing weight at the rate your body can handle. It might be best to speak with a trainer or your physician to find out what your target goal should be to lose weight and maintain the weight loss.